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Page 33
The letter read as follows:
"STOCKHOLM, March 17th.
"MY DEAR MR. MALARIUS,--I thank you cordially for informing me of
the disastrous consequences of the cyclone of the 3d of March to
the worthy Mr. Hersebom. I am proud and happy to learn that Erik
acted in these circumstances, as always before, like a brave boy
and a devoted son. You will find a check in this letter for 500
kroners; and I beg you to give them to him from me. Tell him if it
is not enough to buy at Bergen a first-class boat, he must let me
know without delay. He must name this boat 'Cynthia,' and then
present it to Mr. Hersebom as a souvenir of filial love. That done,
if Erik wishes to please me he will return to Stockholm and resume
his studies. His place is always ready for him at my fireside, and
if he needs a motive to assist in this decision, I add that I have
at length obtained some information, and hope yet to be able to
solve the mystery enshrouding his birth.
"Believe me, my dear Malarius, your sincere and devoted friend,
"R.W. SCHWARYENCRONA, M.D."
You may imagine with what joy this letter was received. The doctor, by
sending this gift to Erik, showed that he understood the character of
the old fisherman. If he had offered it directly to him, it is hardly
probable that Mr. Hersebom would have accepted it. But he could not
refuse the boat from Erik's hand, and bearing the name of "Cynthia,"
which recalled how Erik had become a member of the family. Their only
grief now, which already began to sadden all their countenances, was the
thought that he must soon leave them again. Nobody dared to speak about
it, although it was constantly in their thoughts. Erik himself, with his
head bowed, was divided between the desire of satisfying the doctor, and
realizing the secret wishes of his own heart, and the no less natural
wish of giving no offense to his adopted parents.
It was Vanda who first broke the reserve, and spoke upon the subject.
"Erik," she said, in her sweet grave voice, "you can not say 'No' to the
doctor after receiving such a letter. You can not do it, because it
would be treating him most ungratefully, and sinning against yourself.
Your place is among scholars, and not among fishermen. I have thought so
for a long time. Nobody has dared to tell you, therefore I tell you."
"Vanda is right," said Mr. Malarius, with a smile.
"Vanda is right," repeated Dame Katrina, drying her eyes.
And in this manner, for the second time, Erik's departure was decided.
CHAPTER VIII.
PATRICK O'DONOGHAN.
The information which Dr. Schwaryencrona had received was not very
important, but it sufficed to start his inquiries in a new direction.
He had learned the name of the ex-director of the Canadian
Transportation Company, it was Mr. Joshua Churchill. But they did not
know what had become of this gentleman since the dissolution of the
company. If they could succeed in finding him, he might be able to give
them some information about the old records of the company; perhaps
there might have been a list of the passengers by the "Cynthia," and the
baby might have been registered with his family or with the persons who
had charge of him. But their investigations proved very unsatisfactory.
The solicitor who had formerly had the books in his possession as the
receiver of the company about ten years before; did not know what had
become of Mr. Churchill. For a moment Dr. Schwaryencrona consoled
himself with a false hope. He remembered that the American newspapers
usually published a list of the passengers embarking for Europe, and he
sent for a number of old gazettes to see if he could find the
"Cynthia's" list; but he was soon convinced that this was a fruitless
effort. He discovered that the practice of publishing the names of
passengers on European steamships was of comparatively recent date. But
the old gazettes were of one use to him, they gave the exact date of
sailing of the "Cynthia," which had left on the 3d of November, not from
a Canadian port as they had at first supposed, but from New York, to go
to Hamburg.
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